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THE STATE OF THE UNION

As we draw the curtain on the 2009 season, I thought I’d check in with PawSox team President Mike Tamburro. Mike came to the PawSox and owner Ben Mondor, fresh out of UMass, 30 years ago. Tamburro has risen to become one of the most respected executives in all of baseball. Under his leadership, the PawSox enjoyed aother banner year at the box office, despite battling poor weather, an unsteady economy and a team that has lost over 80 games. “It’s been a remarkable season in a lot of ways. It’s always melancholy at the end of a year. You feel the seaon will go on forever, then boom, it’s over. It’s been a great year. A lot of happy memories. Not the greatest season on the field, but hopefully, we’ve planted a lot of seeds. A lot of young players came up towards the end of the year and we can look forward to next season, and those are the guys that can help us build the organization.” Tamburro was almost at a loss for words as he thought about all that conspired against the club in 2009. “I’ve been talking about these outstanding fans for over 30 years. They never cease to amaze me. The economy, we knew it was going to be a problem, I think what we never anticipated was the weather. Especially in June and July, the heart of the season. June was one of the darkest, wettest months we’ve ever had and July was the wettest July in history. For us to draw over 620,000 fans, I think our third or fourth best year ever. It’s remarkable. It’s a tribute to them. They have amazed me year after year. I thank them,this organization thanks them. Our outstanding staff has done a great job trying to build something here that the fans feel comfortable in.” As he pondered over his 30 years with the team, he wondered aloud where the time has gone. “It’s hard for me to believe, I’ve been in this business as long as I have. When you do something you love, it’s not work. Every day is fun. Every day is a challenge. Every day something new is going to happen. That’s what we love about this business and that’s what we love about the PawSox.” Mike has supervised the expansion of the PawSox empire. For the last several season, McCoy Stadium has played host to some of the top concert acts in the country. This summer, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp put on a show for a huge throng. “It was fun. It was a challenge to get by the weather, but to have nearly 10,000 come out on a terribly rainy day to see those performers, was a fantastic memory. The rained stopped for the three hour concert and as the folks were driving home, it started to rain again. I guess it was only fitting. It’s enjoyable to see this venue be used in a number of different ways. Seeing our fans enjoying a concert like that is a special feeling.” As we continued our conversation, we reminisced about my stint as a salesman for the PawSox in the ’80s. Along with Ben and Mike, G.M. Lou Schwechheimer, V.P. of stadium operations, Mick Tedesco and V.P. of Public Realtions, Bill Wanless are all still working here. Unheard of almost anywhere, especially in minor league baseball. “People ask about the long term success of the organizaton. It goes right back to the fact that we’ve had such a stable staff all these years. People know exactly what to do, what to anticipate, how to react, how to handle different situations. It’s not a learning lesson every day. We’re all in sync, we all know exactly the way we want to treat the fans and the type of atmosphere we want to build. It’s a staff that’s been built to last. It’s an operation that we hope’s been built to last.” Mike noted that the season goes by quickly, and so, we hope the offseason does as well. Tamburro promises that you’ll be able to enjoy the same type of great family entertainment, reasonably priced for everyone, in 2010. “We’ve got some things up our sleeves. We are doing our typical rehab of this building. A lot of concrete work. They’ll see a freshly painted stadium come the beginning of the year. That will be only the beginning of what we’ll have in store.”

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While seasons come and go, the staff at McCoy continues to shine year after year. It’s an amazing accomplishment for any business organization to be so consistantly good from top to bottom for so many years. Thanks to everyone, from the ticket booth, store, concessions, ushers, radio booth and management for another fun year with the PawSox.

There are few places better for a family to enjoy an afternoon then at McCoy Stadium. Yes – the win/lose total might not have been what we wanted – but it was a great season. Thanks to all and we look forward to seeing you all next spring!

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